A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Zhao, the matchmaker, was forty years old, a rare unmarried professional woman in ancient times.

She is very different from the stereotypical matchmaker; she is neither noisy and ingratiating, nor flashy and greasy.

Zhao, the matchmaker, was dressed in a wide, moon-white dress, her long hair loosely tied back with a plain silver hairpin.

The fabric appears simple, but it is actually a fine cotton cloth from the Western Regions, soft, breathable, and lustrous.

The price is more than three times higher than that of local homespun cloth.

This small detail shows that Zhao the matchmaker did not settle for less when she lived alone.

Gu Xixi took a sip of hot egg drop soup, looked at Matchmaker Zhao, and smiled, "Madam Zhao, this dress looks very comfortable. Did you make it yourself?"

Matchmaker Zhao looked down at herself and said with a smile, "Well, everyday clothes, loose and breathable are of course the best."

Gu Xixi said, "If you have any ready-made patterns, could you give me a copy? I'll make two sets based on them later."

Matchmaker Zhao readily agreed, "Yes, yes, I'll make a copy for you to take with you later."

She was sitting next to Gu Xixi, cracking open a basin of dried walnuts.

In autumn, fresh walnuts are shelled, and the bitter inner skin is removed. They are then ground into a paste with red dates to make walnut paste.

After chatting for a while, Gu Xixi had finished her egg drop soup.

She put down the empty bowl and began to get down to business.

In order for the tea plantation to open up trade routes in the future, starting from nearby areas and gradually expanding outwards, it will inevitably begin by establishing a market foundation in the northwest.

Once the local tea merchants have recognized and established a foothold, then we can discuss long-term business routes, such as those to the capital, which is a gradual approach.

Zhao, the matchmaker, was now showing her advantage thanks to the knowledge and experience she had accumulated over the years.

Under the jurisdiction of Qingtian County, there are several tea merchants. What are their family situations and how are their family relationships?

Which company has the strongest foundation, the most diverse supply channels, and a preference for sourcing goods from the Jiangnan or Southwest regions?

Who are the friends among the tea merchants, and who are their mortal enemies? What kind of entanglements did they have in the past...?

Zhao the matchmaker knew all of the above.

While I wouldn't claim to have covered every single detail, it was enough for Gu Xixi to understand the inside information that would be useful to her.

Which tea merchants are the big players and which are the small players? How is the local market allocated?

By analyzing their personalities, temperaments, and individual strengths, we can further deduce what they truly desire.

This will greatly help in future cooperation negotiations.

Gu Xixi listened attentively and then asked a few more questions she wanted to know.

Matchmaker Zhao was also able to answer all of Gu Xixi's questions.

Gu Xixi smiled with relief and handed over a bag of copper coins that she had prepared beforehand. "Thank you, Madam Zhao, for your great help."

Matchmaker Zhao glanced at the bulging money bag and jokingly declined, saying, "You've come here to chat, why are you giving me money?"

"Take it back immediately!"

Gu Xixi didn't back down, and said with a smile, "Ordinary people who come to your door to ask about things have to pay a commission, isn't that the rule?"

Matchmaker Zhao chuckled, “People come to ask whose son is a suitable match for their life, and whose beautiful daughter has just come of age.”

"I'm different from you!"

Gu Xixi said, "It's all about inquiring about other people's situations, and it's all about using the knowledge you've worked so hard to accumulate."

"What's different?"

As she spoke, she stuffed the money bag into Zhao the matchmaker's hand.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhao the matchmaker finally decided not to push it back.

As a woman who also worked for herself to make a living, Matchmaker Zhao could understand Gu Xixi's reasons for doing things.

She smiled and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

"However, the amount you gave is not in accordance with the rules. The first negotiation is equivalent to a deposit."

"Even a third of these is considered a high price."

"I'll return the extra to you. You can give me the rest when you really need me to make connections."

Gu Xixi smiled; she really enjoyed doing business with people like Matchmaker Zhao.

Personal relationships are personal relationships, and business is business. Keeping things clear and distinct will make everyone feel comfortable.

Gu Xixi said, "Don't rush to refund my money. There is indeed more than one deposit involved."

"There are some things I haven't told everyone yet, but since I need you to act as a go-between, I'll say a few more words to you in advance."

"Our village will have a harvest of Pinellia ternata next year."

"I heard that the eldest daughter-in-law of the King of Fruits in Northwest China was the matchmaker you arranged."

Guozi Wang's original surname was Wang, and he was not from Qingtian County.

He was a merchant in the prefectural city, involved in the trade of raw silk and tea from Jiangnan, and porcelain from the central region.

He was called the "King of Fruits" because he made his fortune by reselling fruit.

Summer brings melons and fruits from the Western Regions, plums and apricots from the South, and peaches and apricots, specialties of the Northwest.

Southern tangerines in winter, and northern pears such as Ya pear and Gong pear.

And this industry, which Guoziwang is still operating today, has long since become the number one in Northwest China.

Although ordinary people have limited demand for fruits and other non-staple foods, the market for Guoziwang (Fruit King) is not limited to the Northwest.

His fruit had long been sold in the capital, Jiangnan, and even some wealthy cities in the Western Regions.

With such a large and wealthy family, Zhao, the matchmaker, had successfully arranged a marriage for them, a feat well-documented in the industry.

Upon hearing Gu Xixi mention it again, Zhao the matchmaker lowered her eyelids and smiled modestly.

"Ah, that was all years ago."

"It's all about luck; you don't get these opportunities every year."

She paused, then changed the subject, "When do you plan to launch this initiative?"

"Perhaps I can try to make an example for you."

"Next spring," Gu Xixi said, watching a yellow leaf drift down from the sky.

"I'll invite Mr. Wang to see the orchard full of apple blossoms when the time comes."

“Alright,” Zhao the matchmaker agreed, “I have plenty of time, and I can take this opportunity to visit their household more often.”

The sun had not yet risen above the mountaintop, and a gust of wind swept by, bringing a chill to my body.

Autumn harvest and winter storage; heavy snow blankets the Northwest.

During the off-season and holidays, Gu Xixi's greatest pleasure at home is counting money.

The money from two bumper harvests of grain from his own family, the second-season reward from the Northwest Army, the dividends from the main store and branches of Ganyuju in Beijing, the dividends from the pesticide and fertilizer workshop, the technical fees from the Yunling County Nursery Association...

Previously, the money invested in the tea garden was spent like water flowing out of the wooden box, but recently it has been filled up again like water flowing out of the box.

Even before closing the lid, Gu Xixi would press it down hard.

"Lu Jing, I want to buy land again."

"We also have fruit tree seedlings; we can invest more in them in the spring."

Lu Jing said with a smile, "Many members of the Gu family in this area have already registered their names with me."

"Next year, when they receive the saplings from their employer, they will start planting the Pinpo fruit."

"I wonder how much more bonus the employer will receive during the holidays in the future?"

Gu Xixi looked up and smiled at Lü Jing. "Let's get a horse-drawn carriage after the New Year."

Winter has passed and spring has arrived in the blink of an eye.

Spring arrives much later in the Northwest than in the South. This year, the tea gardens only began harvesting the first batch of pre-Qingming tea on the Shangsi Festival.

After the start of spring, Gu Xixi personally checks the condition of the tea trees and the quality of the new leaves every two days.

The day she set for the mining was the Shangsi Festival.

That day, Gu Xixi went to the tea garden to watch the tea pickers work and made sure there were no problems before leaving.

The carriage did not return to Huachi Ferry, but instead headed towards Qingtian County.

Gu Xixi sat in the car, glancing to her side with a complicated expression.

"Brother Zichu invited me and Lü Jing to his house for dinner today. It was arranged half a month in advance."

Mu Nanzhao sat upright with his eyes closed, and gave a soft "hmm".